Electric vehicles (EVs) have been actively studied because they are the most promising solution to pollution and energy problems.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are mainly powered by driving an AC or DC motor using power of a battery. The electric vehicles are broadly classified into battery powered electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. In the battery powered electric vehicles, a motor is driven using power of a battery, and the battery is recharged after stored power is completely consumed. In hybrid electric vehicles, a battery is charged with electricity generated via engine driving, and an electric motor is driven using the electricity to realize vehicle movement.
The hybrid electric vehicles may further be classified into serial type ones and parallel type ones. In the case of serial hybrid electric vehicles, mechanical energy output from an engine is changed into electric energy via a generator, and the electric energy is fed to a battery or motor. Thus, the serial hybrid electric vehicles are always driven by a motor similar to conventional electric vehicles, but an engine and generator are added for the purpose of increasing range. Parallel hybrid electric vehicles may be driven using two power sources, i.e. a battery and an engine (gasoline or diesel). Also, the parallel hybrid electric vehicles may be driven using both the engine and the motor according to traveling conditions.
With recent gradual development of motor/control technologies, small high-output and high-efficiency systems have been developed. Owing to replacing a DC motor by an AC motor, electric vehicles have accomplished considerably enhanced output and power performance (acceleration performance and maximum speed) comparable to those of gasoline vehicles. As a result of promoting a higher output and higher revolutions per minute, a motor has achieved reduction in weight and size, and consequently reduction in the weight and size of a vehicle provided with the motor.
Although the electric vehicle includes a controller such as a central processing unit (CPU) configured to control functions thereof, assuming that the controller malfunctions or the electric vehicle has difficulty in communicating with the controller, it is impossible for the electric vehicle to operate normally due to malfunction of the controller.
Therefore, if a malfunction occurs in vehicle traveling, it is impossible to process input signals, such that it becomes difficult to perform vehicle traveling, resulting in occurrence of an unexpected accident.